Portail de l'éducation de Historica Canada

The Cenotaph Project is an engaging activity that gives students an opportunity to get to know the individual men and women who served, and potentially died, in wartime. Begun by Ontario teacher Blake Seward, teachers and students nationwide have undertaken this project. The document below serves as a step-by-step guide.

This guide is intended to assist teachers and students as they study Canada’s involvement in the Second World War. It highlights some of the significant historical themes and events of that period but is not meant to be a comprehensive history of Canada and the war; in fact, some teachers may choose to highlight different aspects of this period in their classes, such as the naval war on Canada’s doorstep or Canada’s participation in the bombing offensive against Germany. Nonetheless, the...

The guide's purpose is to enhance your students’ learning and appreciation of the pivotal role that this 1917 battle played within Canadian history. The questions and activities of the guide also aim to have students examine issues and situations from an individual, humanistic point of view as well as from a macro perspective.

Structured around five primary sources from the First World War, this guide asks students to think and to empathize as they analyze and deconstruct those pieces of...

This learning tool uses The Memory Project website, thememoryproject.com, to challenge students to rethink what it means to study history by using primary source analysis. The Veteran Stories and Image Gallery sections of the website contain a wide range of primary documents. The exercises in this guide invite students to develop their ability to analyze primary documents and other historical resources.

The First World War, often called “the Great War,” was a global conflict that divided many of the world’s nations into two opposing camps, called the Allies (originally the Triple Entente) and the Central Powers. From 1914 through the end of hostilities in 1918, more countries joined the conflict out of necessity or opportunism, including Japan, the United States and the Ottoman Empire.

The war had disastrous consequences for many Canadian individuals, families and communities: approximately...

One of the biggest criticisms our veterans have of “younger” generations is their lack of remembrance. One could argue that the reason younger generations struggle with the concept of remembrance is a lack of personal connection. The intent of this project is to make remembrance personal for the students by having them produce a Student Heritage Minute. The research that comes with this project brings the identity and character of the deceased soldier to the students first hand.

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During World War I, trench warfare was used and often caused the momentum of the war to reach a standstill. Both sides suffered heavy casualties. At the Battle of the Somme, the allies sought to shatter the German trenches with a massive attack and win the war. The first day of this battle holds the record for the most losses in a single day.

To have students develop a better appreciation of the physical efforts made by soldiers when going "over the top." To get students out of...

The primary goal of this lesson is to help students to understand the importance of the Battle of the Somme during the First World War and its effects on Canada and Newfoundland.

When honouring our war dead, how do nations express nationalism and maintain the memory of the dead individually and/or collectively?

Students will gain an appreciation for how the forces of nationalism have shaped and continue to shape Canada and the world. They will explore a range of expressions of nationalism and develop understandings of nation and nationalism (in relation to land, geography, collectivism, citizenship, ethnicity, culture, languages, politics, spiritualism,...

This lesson is based on viewing the Sir Arthur Currie biography from The Canadians series. Despite the many controversies surrounding his career, Currie was one of the most successful Canadian military leaders during the First World War.

The biography of Sir Arthur Currie is a good way to introduce the study of the First World War. Students will compare Currie to other military leaders and study several war poems.

Sir Arthur Currie, or ‘Guts and Gaiters’ as he was...

Students should:
- Know that democracy depends on the participation of the citizens
- Participate appropriately and effectively in groups
- Research for specific information
- Demonstrate an attitude of acceptance of diverse values
- Read, view and listen effectively to gather ideas and information
- Classify and present pertinent information in logical order.

Students should be able to :
- Present ideas clearly and at a rate that enables others to follow
- Explain personal viewpoint clearly
-...

The Newfoundland Regiment suffered devastating losses at Beaumont-Hamel during the First World War. After this virtual annihilation, the Battalion was steadily brought back to full strength with the recruitment and training of new troops. The Newfoundlanders would go on to distinguish themselves in a number of important battles throughout the War including Gueudecourt, Monchy-le-Preux, Cambrai, and Bailleul. In recognition of their exceptional valour and skill, they were designated...

Students will work through a simulation of the discussions leading to the Treaty of Versailles at the Paris Peace Conference, 1919. After completing their unit on the First World War, the students will present the positions of country representatives at the simulated conference through the six months of 1919. In groups, they will present and argue their positions depending on their national perspectives (i.e. USA, UK, France, etc.). Each student will then write a brief article...

When Canada entered the First World War in 1914, men of all ages enlisted by the thousands. However, this zeal waned as reports of casualty rates arrived home. Recruitment posters were an integral part of encouraging men and women to enlist at all points between 1914 and 1918. They appealed to the many motivations for enlistment and used various propaganda techniques to achieve their goal. In this activity, students will examine reasons for enlistment, recruitment posters, and...